Skip to main content

Users heard the Windows 95 startup music for the first time 20 years ago today

Microsoft Windows 95 Startup Sound
Back in August of 1981, Microsoft bought 86-DOS, an operating system that only took six weeks to write, and began licensing it out to IBM under the moniker MS-DOS. This seemingly simple reselling of the text-based OS would change computing forever, and would form the underlying structure for a number of successful operating systems, the most well-known of which is Windows 95. MS-DOS still existed underneath the shiny new UI of Windows 95, but was intended for compatibility, and most users didn’t interact with it. Instead, Microsoft developed an overhauled user interface, one that Windows 10 still replicates in its basic layout and workflow. The desktop provides a convenient place for frequently accessed files and applications, while active programs are either displayed on screen, or managed from the Start bar below.

Although Microsoft has had a rocky relationship with the Start Menu in the past, it was born with Windows 95 as a way to help new users become acquainted with the interface. We may think of the Insider Preview for Windows 10 as a new idea, but Microsoft actually ran a beta program for Windows 95 as well. Users could participate in the preview program by purchasing a 3.5-inch floppy with a beta of Windows 95 on it for $19.95. Like the Insider Preview, these special copies expired in November of 1995.

One of the most iconic new features, perhaps unexpectedly, was the startup sound. The six second music clip, written by music legend Brian Eno, played when a Windows 95 system launched, took on a life of its own, and is still one of the most recognizable sounds in computing.

The redesigned user interface and new support for peripherals and network connectivity drove Windows 95 to become one of the most well-known operating systems of all time. Its success was so great it helped drive anti-trust lawsuits against Microsoft, and shaped every modern OS in one way or another. Microsoft ended support for Windows 95 on December 31, 2001, and although we’re sure they’re out there, NetMarketShare doesn’t report on the number of Windows 95 machines still in use. Happy 20th to Windows 95, next year the first round is on us.

Editors' Recommendations

Brad Bourque
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad Bourque is a native Portlander, devout nerd, and craft beer enthusiast. He studied creative writing at Willamette…
After 10 years of headaches, I’m finally a believer in Windows on ARM
The Microsoft Surface 3 with its blue keyboard.

Almost two years in, Apple is on the verge of completing its transition to ARM. It might surprise you to know, then, that Microsoft started its own journey to ARM chips long before Apple.

But Windows' support for ARM has been far less smooth. There aren't many more Windows devices with ARM chips than there were five years ago -- and I can attest to having personally used every failed attempt along the way.

Read more
Windows 11 may be slowing NVMe SSD speeds for many users
A person using a laptop that is running Windows 11.

Multiple users reported issues with the speeds of their NVMe SSDs in the past few months, and it seems that the problems can be traced back to Windows 11.

The reports have appeared on various online forums and on Reddit. Several benchmarks support the credibility of these claims.

Read more
Microsoft is working on new updates to make Windows 11 faster next year
One of the wallpapers from the Windows 11 sunset theme.

There's good news ahead for Windows 11 users, especially if the upgrade has left you with a sluggish system. Microsoft is promising that fixes and updates are on the way next year that will improve the performance of the operating system, which has received numerous complaints from Windows fans.

"Performance will be an area of focus for us in 2022," Microsoft's Windows developer team wrote in a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) post as reported by TechRadar, noting that improving the responsiveness of Windows is a priority for the company. "A lot of that focus will go into startup/launch perf; in terms of UI elements rendering on the screen (after the framework is loaded), we've tested the scalability of doing things like putting 10k buttons on the screen, etc."

Read more